20 Documentaries That Ruined People's Lives
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VOICE OVER: Tom Aglio
Airing out the dirty laundry never goes well! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at documentary films or docuseries that resulted in strong negative effects on the lives of their filmmakers, subjects, or participants. Our countdown includes documentaries “The Woman Who Wasn't There”, “Blues by the Beach”, "Tiger King" and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at documentary films or docuseries that resulted in strong negative effects on the lives of their filmmakers, subjects, or participants. Do you feel bad for these individuals? Let us know in the comments below!
Devils Lake, North Dakota was the ironic subject of the 2006 documentary “Jesus Camp.” It detailed the goings-on at the Kids on Fire School of Ministry, a Pentecostal summer camp that gave children an inappropriate and extreme relationship with religion. While “Jesus Camp” received favorable reviews, many took issue with the themes of child indoctrination and found it difficult to watch. As a result, angry fans bombarded the Ministry with letters and physical defacement. Reverend Becky Fischer was forced to disband the camp and move out, as the land’s owners had them evicted owing to the vandalism.
Do we feel bad when the ruined life is that of a serial killer? We’ll pose that philosophical quandary with “Tales of the Grim Sleeper.” This documentary details the life and crimes of the killer of the same name. Between 1984 and 2007, the Grim Sleeper killed at least ten people and committed other acts of sexual violence. The killer was Lonnie David Franklin Jr., and he was arrested in 2010. The documentary was released four years later, with fifteen women opening up about their horrific experiences. It not only introduced a wider audience to the story, but it completely tarnished the name and reputation of Franklin, who had yet to be convicted. That occurred in 2016, and Franklin was sentenced to death.
New Zealand TV reporter David Farrier stumbled across the rather bizarre practice of “competitive endurance tickling.” This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like - videos of people being restrained and then tickled, supposedly in the guise of endurance sport. But really, they were just fetish videos involving attractive athletic men. Farrier’s adventure leads him to one Terri DiSisto, the shadowy recruiter and distributor of the videos. Farrier discovers that Terri DiSisto is one David D'Amato, a former high school assistant principal. D’Amato’s identity was supposedly exposed and he sued the filmmakers for defamation. However, he died in March 2017, just ten months after the film was released.
Nothing screams the early 2010s quite like “Kony 2012.” This documentary from Jason Russell was everywhere in the spring of 2012 thanks to a high-profile marketing campaign. The goal of the documentary was to shed light on one Joseph Kony, the leader of a Ugandan terrorist group called the Lord's Resistance Army. “Kony 2012” and its popular campaign helped inspire the African Union to send thousands of troops into Kony’s known areas in an effort to find him. While the terrorist has yet to be located, the documentary has raised pressure on the hunt and made Joseph Kony a household name. Luckily, it is now believed that the Lord's Resistance Army has shrunk in number and is no longer a serious threat.
The woman is Alicia Head, and “there” was the World Trade Center on 9/11. A woman named Tania Head claimed to have survived the September 11 attacks and even led a support group called the World Trade Center Survivors' Network. Her story became incredibly popular, earning interviews in the media and photos with the likes of Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Governor George Pataki. And, slowly but surely, the truth unraveled. As “The Woman Who Wasn't There” so delicately proves, Tania Head was a fraud. Her real name was Alicia Head, and she was doing her masters in Spain when 9/11 occurred. The documentary helped expose Head’s deception, and she was even fired from her position at a Spanish insurance company.
Few documentaries have the cultural power of “Surviving R. Kelly.” Kelly was an enormously popular R&B artist, but his reputation has been permanently tarnished thanks to the magical work of this documentary. Originally released in 2019, it highlighted the sexual abuse allegations that had been made against the titular singer. Immediately following the series, R. Kelly’s music was banned from many radio stations and he was dropped by RCA Records. But even more substantial was the work done by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. Less than two months after the documentary’s first season aired, they charged Kelly with ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. This kickstarted a legal process that ended with Kelly being sent away for 31 years.
In 2005, the legendary musician was acquitted of fourteen nasty charges that we won’t get into here. This trial and its culmination have reverberated through pop culture for years, and debate about Jackson’s innocence continues to this day. This mess can be traced back to Martin Bashir’s 2003 documentary “Living with Michael Jackson.” Bashir brings up a number of troubling topics, including Jackson’s involvement with children at Neverland Ranch. Bashir has been passionately criticized for his filmmaking and behavior, but his documentary nevertheless held incredible power. It kick-started the legal investigation that led to Jackson’s charges and the eventual criminal trial that continues to tarnish his legacy.
Shortly before 1:00 a.m. on April 30, 2003, a Tel Aviv bar called Mike’s Place was bombed by terrorists, killing three and wounding fifty. One of them was filmmaker Jack Baxter. Baxter planned on making a documentary about the bar, with the hopes of capturing Tel Aviv’s happier and more lively side - a contrast to the media’s violent depiction of the Israeli city. But then tragedy struck. The bar was bombed in the middle of filming, seriously injuring Baxter. Luckily, the producer was released from hospital following surgery and reworked his film to include both the bombing and its consequences. Sometimes the filmmaker tragically becomes the subject.
This is undoubtedly an important piece of history, being the first documentary to attain widespread success. However, this is not a documentary in the way we think of the genre, as it also incorporates fictional elements into its story. The film follows an Inuk man named Nanook and the struggles he endures with his family. However, the movie is filled with fabrications, not the least of which was Nanook’s name. His real name was Allakariallak, but that wasn’t as marketable. The documentary has long been criticized for making the Inuit look less civilized than they actually were, and it was blamed for reinforcing harmful stereotypes. Even worse, this film helped perpetuate the stereotypes in pop culture, ensuring that they persisted for decades to come.
This film from Gabriela Cowperthwaite targets SeaWorld and the general practice of performing orcas through the lens of Tilikum. Tilikum was a whale at SeaWorld Orlando who killed three trainers throughout his career, supposedly out of the psychological trauma stemming from captivity. “Blackfish” dealt incredible damage to the SeaWorld brand, resulting in a loss of attendance and a significant drop in stock price. California introduced the Orca Welfare and Safety Act in response to the film, and the business was also hit with federal charges resulting in a $5 million settlement. The controversy was enough that SeaWorld announced it would be ending its live orca show.
Eccentric former zookeeper Joe Exotic claims that the hit Netflix docuseries “Tiger King” ruined his life. That's saying a lot considering he was already in prison when the show premiered. It may be less debatable to argue that the documentary instead damaged the reputation of his archnemesis Carole Baskin. "Tiger King" seemingly painted the animal rights activist as Exotic's even match in ego, if not animal mistreatment. The docuseries was also criticized for overexposing the theory that Baskin had a hand in her ex-husband Don Lewis’ disappearance. This particularly inspired devastating harassment online. Though her raised profile has also promoted her activism, Baskin feels betrayed by Netflix’s depiction, and that too many people have made up their minds on the mystery of Lewis’ fate.
The unsolved murder of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey has been followed by scandal ever since 1996. As if the loss and media circus weren't traumatizing enough, the Ramsey family has long dealt with theories that they were the culprits. All three members were eventually cleared by DNA evidence in 2008. Nonetheless, the 2016 miniseries "The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey" still argued that the victim's older brother Burke was responsible. Burke promptly filed a defamation suit against CBS and some of the show’s participants. Following an out-of-court settlement, the older Ramsey returned to a private life. Still, with many maintaining that JonBenét was killed by Burke, he has undoubtedly found his reputation tarnished by the claims of this docuseries.
Seth Gordon's documentary on the feud for "Donkey Kong" conquest won high scores with audiences. Of course, the public attention it revived for record-holder Billy Mitchell backfired. “The King of Kong” was among the sources investigated by specialists to conclude that Mitchell's scoring track record was partially attained with emulation software. This provided an undue advantage - allowing anyone to play outside of arcade machines. Mitchell’s records were removed from databases, and the gaming community ostracized him. In a defamation suit against his accusers, he even claimed that his doctor refused to treat his stress-related health issues. Although some of his records have since been reinstated, “The King of Kong” helped bring down the gamer royalty Mitchell built an entrepreneurial brand on.
As district attorney for Calumet County, Wisconsin, Ken Kratz landed the famous murder convictions of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey in 2007. Controversy that these may have been wrongful convictions eventually went global with the release of the Netflix docuseries "Making a Murderer". Kratz's glory was short-lived anyway, as a harassment scandal had cost him his office in 2010. But after the documentary's examination of possible judicial impropriety, Kratz faced death threats and a barrage of negative Yelp reviews. He has since lost his law license. Kratz continues to grant public interviews and has been working on a book to dispute the show's supposedly flimsy evidence. The court of public opinion has nonetheless not been kind to him.
Alex Gibney's documentary on the mysterious Church of Scientology was praised by general audiences, but received a very different reaction from Scientologists. Gibney has expressed remorse that many people who worked on "Going Clear" subsequently suffered retaliation from Church officials. Former members whose interviews exposed the Church's history and controversial practices got it the worst. Filmmaker Paul Haggis, journalist Tony Ortega and others reported being surveilled. A private investigator also confessed to being hired to hack into several email accounts. These all seemed to be consistent with the disturbing stories exposed throughout the documentary. For all the importance of "Going Clear" in religious debate, its effects extended far beyond the current Scientology congregation.
Arguably the most daring project from meta filmmaker Caveh Zahedi was "The Show About the Show", in which each episode documented the making of the previous episode. Released online and on Brooklyn cable access, the niche program turned out to be more dramatic than anyone expected. The intrusive and candid production imploded Zahedi's already rocky marriage, plus a subsequent romance. He claims that his whole personal life has been destroyed by its own documentation. “The Show About the Show” wound up being a reality show that truly lives up to the genre's name. Zahedi does not regret the project, however. In fact, he’s trying to keep it going totally independently. Although, he'll be the first to admit that it upended his whole world.
Despite the very limited release of "The Boondock Saints", writer-director Troy Duffy became a cult sensation. Fans got to go behind the scenes with his filmmaking and music breakout in the documentary “Overnight”. This showcased Duffy as an undeniable talent, but whose contentious behavior eventually led to his downfall. His antagonism towards his veteran producers ultimately led to Miramax dropping his movie, and Harvey Weinstein having him blacklisted. Sure, “Overnight” is a record of Duffy destroying his own life. But he claims that the documentary showed his inexcusable behavior out of context. It certainly cost him the potential salvation of public sympathy. Duffy has since made only one other movie: “The Boondock Saints II”.
The French docuseries "Soupçons", better known as "The Staircase", was groundbreaking in its intimate coverage of an infamous trial. That of American novelist Michael Peterson, for the murder of his wife Kathleen. After the show was released, its massive success destroyed any hope of privacy for the grieving family. Peterson’s conviction was later overturned and he eventually accepted an Alford plea for a lesser charge. This allowed him to maintain his innocence over the crime. Netflix then released an update of "The Staircase" in 2018, inviting social media hostility on the Petersons. This was further addressed in the 2022 documentary “Subject”. Whatever the truth about Kathleen Peterson's death, "The Staircase" succeeded in turning a family tragedy into a public inquiry.
Following the deposition of corrupt President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Egypt endured years of political and civil unrest. Jehane Noujaim's "The Square" explored this gruesome period through the perspective of its own cinematographer, Ahmed Hassan. The filmmaker and democracy activist knew the risks in becoming a public figure of resistance. While the Egyptian Crisis ended in 2014, Hassan wasn’t around for this. Instead, he had been exiled from Egypt, fearing retaliation from the authoritarian regime. He also had limited contact with his family out of concern for their safety. "The Square" may have won Hassan an Emmy for his cinematography, but the project seemingly left him worse off, as he was driven from his homeland.
In 1982, real estate heir Robert Durst was investigated for the murder of his wife Kathleen McCormack. He was eventually brought to trial in 2003 for another murder, amidst rumors of a third. Durst refused to do interviews after his acquittal, but was so impressed by “All Good Things”, a movie based on his bizarre story, that he agreed to sit down with filmmaker Andrew Jarecki. The docuseries “The Jinx” ended with Durst, forgetting that he was still mic’d-up, seemingly admitting to all three murders. This may have just been in jest, but Durst was still charged with one of the killings. He was finally convicted in 2021. While true crime documentaries may be accused of consequential biases, it’s hard to argue with Durst’s self-incrimination.
“Jesus Camp” (2006)
Kids on Fire School of MinistryDevils Lake, North Dakota was the ironic subject of the 2006 documentary “Jesus Camp.” It detailed the goings-on at the Kids on Fire School of Ministry, a Pentecostal summer camp that gave children an inappropriate and extreme relationship with religion. While “Jesus Camp” received favorable reviews, many took issue with the themes of child indoctrination and found it difficult to watch. As a result, angry fans bombarded the Ministry with letters and physical defacement. Reverend Becky Fischer was forced to disband the camp and move out, as the land’s owners had them evicted owing to the vandalism.
“Tales of the Grim Sleeper” (2014)
Lonnie David Franklin Jr.Do we feel bad when the ruined life is that of a serial killer? We’ll pose that philosophical quandary with “Tales of the Grim Sleeper.” This documentary details the life and crimes of the killer of the same name. Between 1984 and 2007, the Grim Sleeper killed at least ten people and committed other acts of sexual violence. The killer was Lonnie David Franklin Jr., and he was arrested in 2010. The documentary was released four years later, with fifteen women opening up about their horrific experiences. It not only introduced a wider audience to the story, but it completely tarnished the name and reputation of Franklin, who had yet to be convicted. That occurred in 2016, and Franklin was sentenced to death.
“Tickled” (2016)
David D'AmatoNew Zealand TV reporter David Farrier stumbled across the rather bizarre practice of “competitive endurance tickling.” This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like - videos of people being restrained and then tickled, supposedly in the guise of endurance sport. But really, they were just fetish videos involving attractive athletic men. Farrier’s adventure leads him to one Terri DiSisto, the shadowy recruiter and distributor of the videos. Farrier discovers that Terri DiSisto is one David D'Amato, a former high school assistant principal. D’Amato’s identity was supposedly exposed and he sued the filmmakers for defamation. However, he died in March 2017, just ten months after the film was released.
“Kony 2012” (2012)
Joseph KonyNothing screams the early 2010s quite like “Kony 2012.” This documentary from Jason Russell was everywhere in the spring of 2012 thanks to a high-profile marketing campaign. The goal of the documentary was to shed light on one Joseph Kony, the leader of a Ugandan terrorist group called the Lord's Resistance Army. “Kony 2012” and its popular campaign helped inspire the African Union to send thousands of troops into Kony’s known areas in an effort to find him. While the terrorist has yet to be located, the documentary has raised pressure on the hunt and made Joseph Kony a household name. Luckily, it is now believed that the Lord's Resistance Army has shrunk in number and is no longer a serious threat.
“The Woman Who Wasn't There” (2012)
Alicia HeadThe woman is Alicia Head, and “there” was the World Trade Center on 9/11. A woman named Tania Head claimed to have survived the September 11 attacks and even led a support group called the World Trade Center Survivors' Network. Her story became incredibly popular, earning interviews in the media and photos with the likes of Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Governor George Pataki. And, slowly but surely, the truth unraveled. As “The Woman Who Wasn't There” so delicately proves, Tania Head was a fraud. Her real name was Alicia Head, and she was doing her masters in Spain when 9/11 occurred. The documentary helped expose Head’s deception, and she was even fired from her position at a Spanish insurance company.
“Surviving R. Kelly” (2019-23)
R. KellyFew documentaries have the cultural power of “Surviving R. Kelly.” Kelly was an enormously popular R&B artist, but his reputation has been permanently tarnished thanks to the magical work of this documentary. Originally released in 2019, it highlighted the sexual abuse allegations that had been made against the titular singer. Immediately following the series, R. Kelly’s music was banned from many radio stations and he was dropped by RCA Records. But even more substantial was the work done by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. Less than two months after the documentary’s first season aired, they charged Kelly with ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. This kickstarted a legal process that ended with Kelly being sent away for 31 years.
“Living with Michael Jackson” (2003)
Michael JacksonIn 2005, the legendary musician was acquitted of fourteen nasty charges that we won’t get into here. This trial and its culmination have reverberated through pop culture for years, and debate about Jackson’s innocence continues to this day. This mess can be traced back to Martin Bashir’s 2003 documentary “Living with Michael Jackson.” Bashir brings up a number of troubling topics, including Jackson’s involvement with children at Neverland Ranch. Bashir has been passionately criticized for his filmmaking and behavior, but his documentary nevertheless held incredible power. It kick-started the legal investigation that led to Jackson’s charges and the eventual criminal trial that continues to tarnish his legacy.
“Blues by the Beach” (2004)
Jack BaxterShortly before 1:00 a.m. on April 30, 2003, a Tel Aviv bar called Mike’s Place was bombed by terrorists, killing three and wounding fifty. One of them was filmmaker Jack Baxter. Baxter planned on making a documentary about the bar, with the hopes of capturing Tel Aviv’s happier and more lively side - a contrast to the media’s violent depiction of the Israeli city. But then tragedy struck. The bar was bombed in the middle of filming, seriously injuring Baxter. Luckily, the producer was released from hospital following surgery and reworked his film to include both the bombing and its consequences. Sometimes the filmmaker tragically becomes the subject.
“Nanook of the North” (1922)
The Inuit Indigenous PeoplesThis is undoubtedly an important piece of history, being the first documentary to attain widespread success. However, this is not a documentary in the way we think of the genre, as it also incorporates fictional elements into its story. The film follows an Inuk man named Nanook and the struggles he endures with his family. However, the movie is filled with fabrications, not the least of which was Nanook’s name. His real name was Allakariallak, but that wasn’t as marketable. The documentary has long been criticized for making the Inuit look less civilized than they actually were, and it was blamed for reinforcing harmful stereotypes. Even worse, this film helped perpetuate the stereotypes in pop culture, ensuring that they persisted for decades to come.
“Blackfish” (2013)
SeaWorldThis film from Gabriela Cowperthwaite targets SeaWorld and the general practice of performing orcas through the lens of Tilikum. Tilikum was a whale at SeaWorld Orlando who killed three trainers throughout his career, supposedly out of the psychological trauma stemming from captivity. “Blackfish” dealt incredible damage to the SeaWorld brand, resulting in a loss of attendance and a significant drop in stock price. California introduced the Orca Welfare and Safety Act in response to the film, and the business was also hit with federal charges resulting in a $5 million settlement. The controversy was enough that SeaWorld announced it would be ending its live orca show.
"Tiger King" (2020-21)
Carole BaskinEccentric former zookeeper Joe Exotic claims that the hit Netflix docuseries “Tiger King” ruined his life. That's saying a lot considering he was already in prison when the show premiered. It may be less debatable to argue that the documentary instead damaged the reputation of his archnemesis Carole Baskin. "Tiger King" seemingly painted the animal rights activist as Exotic's even match in ego, if not animal mistreatment. The docuseries was also criticized for overexposing the theory that Baskin had a hand in her ex-husband Don Lewis’ disappearance. This particularly inspired devastating harassment online. Though her raised profile has also promoted her activism, Baskin feels betrayed by Netflix’s depiction, and that too many people have made up their minds on the mystery of Lewis’ fate.
"The Case Of: JonBenét Ramsey" (2016)
Burke RamseyThe unsolved murder of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey has been followed by scandal ever since 1996. As if the loss and media circus weren't traumatizing enough, the Ramsey family has long dealt with theories that they were the culprits. All three members were eventually cleared by DNA evidence in 2008. Nonetheless, the 2016 miniseries "The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey" still argued that the victim's older brother Burke was responsible. Burke promptly filed a defamation suit against CBS and some of the show’s participants. Following an out-of-court settlement, the older Ramsey returned to a private life. Still, with many maintaining that JonBenét was killed by Burke, he has undoubtedly found his reputation tarnished by the claims of this docuseries.
"The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" (2007)
Billy MitchellSeth Gordon's documentary on the feud for "Donkey Kong" conquest won high scores with audiences. Of course, the public attention it revived for record-holder Billy Mitchell backfired. “The King of Kong” was among the sources investigated by specialists to conclude that Mitchell's scoring track record was partially attained with emulation software. This provided an undue advantage - allowing anyone to play outside of arcade machines. Mitchell’s records were removed from databases, and the gaming community ostracized him. In a defamation suit against his accusers, he even claimed that his doctor refused to treat his stress-related health issues. Although some of his records have since been reinstated, “The King of Kong” helped bring down the gamer royalty Mitchell built an entrepreneurial brand on.
"Making a Murderer" (2015-18)
Ken KratzAs district attorney for Calumet County, Wisconsin, Ken Kratz landed the famous murder convictions of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey in 2007. Controversy that these may have been wrongful convictions eventually went global with the release of the Netflix docuseries "Making a Murderer". Kratz's glory was short-lived anyway, as a harassment scandal had cost him his office in 2010. But after the documentary's examination of possible judicial impropriety, Kratz faced death threats and a barrage of negative Yelp reviews. He has since lost his law license. Kratz continues to grant public interviews and has been working on a book to dispute the show's supposedly flimsy evidence. The court of public opinion has nonetheless not been kind to him.
"Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" (2015)
Former Church of Scientology MembersAlex Gibney's documentary on the mysterious Church of Scientology was praised by general audiences, but received a very different reaction from Scientologists. Gibney has expressed remorse that many people who worked on "Going Clear" subsequently suffered retaliation from Church officials. Former members whose interviews exposed the Church's history and controversial practices got it the worst. Filmmaker Paul Haggis, journalist Tony Ortega and others reported being surveilled. A private investigator also confessed to being hired to hack into several email accounts. These all seemed to be consistent with the disturbing stories exposed throughout the documentary. For all the importance of "Going Clear" in religious debate, its effects extended far beyond the current Scientology congregation.
“The Show About the Show” (2017-)
Caveh ZahediArguably the most daring project from meta filmmaker Caveh Zahedi was "The Show About the Show", in which each episode documented the making of the previous episode. Released online and on Brooklyn cable access, the niche program turned out to be more dramatic than anyone expected. The intrusive and candid production imploded Zahedi's already rocky marriage, plus a subsequent romance. He claims that his whole personal life has been destroyed by its own documentation. “The Show About the Show” wound up being a reality show that truly lives up to the genre's name. Zahedi does not regret the project, however. In fact, he’s trying to keep it going totally independently. Although, he'll be the first to admit that it upended his whole world.
"Overnight" (2003)
Troy DuffyDespite the very limited release of "The Boondock Saints", writer-director Troy Duffy became a cult sensation. Fans got to go behind the scenes with his filmmaking and music breakout in the documentary “Overnight”. This showcased Duffy as an undeniable talent, but whose contentious behavior eventually led to his downfall. His antagonism towards his veteran producers ultimately led to Miramax dropping his movie, and Harvey Weinstein having him blacklisted. Sure, “Overnight” is a record of Duffy destroying his own life. But he claims that the documentary showed his inexcusable behavior out of context. It certainly cost him the potential salvation of public sympathy. Duffy has since made only one other movie: “The Boondock Saints II”.
"The Staircase" (2004-18)
Michael Peterson & His FamilyThe French docuseries "Soupçons", better known as "The Staircase", was groundbreaking in its intimate coverage of an infamous trial. That of American novelist Michael Peterson, for the murder of his wife Kathleen. After the show was released, its massive success destroyed any hope of privacy for the grieving family. Peterson’s conviction was later overturned and he eventually accepted an Alford plea for a lesser charge. This allowed him to maintain his innocence over the crime. Netflix then released an update of "The Staircase" in 2018, inviting social media hostility on the Petersons. This was further addressed in the 2022 documentary “Subject”. Whatever the truth about Kathleen Peterson's death, "The Staircase" succeeded in turning a family tragedy into a public inquiry.
"The Square" (2013)
Ahmed HassanFollowing the deposition of corrupt President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Egypt endured years of political and civil unrest. Jehane Noujaim's "The Square" explored this gruesome period through the perspective of its own cinematographer, Ahmed Hassan. The filmmaker and democracy activist knew the risks in becoming a public figure of resistance. While the Egyptian Crisis ended in 2014, Hassan wasn’t around for this. Instead, he had been exiled from Egypt, fearing retaliation from the authoritarian regime. He also had limited contact with his family out of concern for their safety. "The Square" may have won Hassan an Emmy for his cinematography, but the project seemingly left him worse off, as he was driven from his homeland.
"The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst"
Robert DurstIn 1982, real estate heir Robert Durst was investigated for the murder of his wife Kathleen McCormack. He was eventually brought to trial in 2003 for another murder, amidst rumors of a third. Durst refused to do interviews after his acquittal, but was so impressed by “All Good Things”, a movie based on his bizarre story, that he agreed to sit down with filmmaker Andrew Jarecki. The docuseries “The Jinx” ended with Durst, forgetting that he was still mic’d-up, seemingly admitting to all three murders. This may have just been in jest, but Durst was still charged with one of the killings. He was finally convicted in 2021. While true crime documentaries may be accused of consequential biases, it’s hard to argue with Durst’s self-incrimination.
